INWARDS ANNOUNCES 3RD ALBUM ‘ZOOMIES’
11 UPBEAT, EXPERIMENTAL DANCE TRACKS INSPIRED BY OUR CANINE COMPANIONS
WATCH VIDEO TO LEAD SINGLE ‘GOLDEN ANUSHKA’
Inwards, the project of musician Kristian Shelley, moves into 2025 with a high energy collection of upbeat, experimental dance tunes inspired by our canine counterparts. Entitled ‘Zoomies’, his third album – set for release on 30th May – brings together 11 tracks, all named in memory after ancestors from the family tree of his beloved Golden Retriever.
Out today, lead single ‘Golden Anushka’ comes with a feverish video featuring a Doctor Frankenstein-esque character hunting down internal body parts around town.
Inwards continues to be this immense innovator of electronic music. Each release that Inwards shares showcases this wealth of textures and sonically elevating synth sounds that build a world from scratch that consumes the audience. Through the instrumental passages, emotion exudes from the tonal choice and beats, the new single boasts this atmospheric voyage that shares a lightness to its formation, consuming yet airy. And when the track finishes you long to be back in the landscape of Inwards once more.
With its consistently higher energy and more intense sound than his previous releases, the Zoomies project started as a way for Shelley to transition into making more danceable music that he could bring out in his live performances. “But I was unable to avoid the classic Inwards weirdness”, he says, “so they have ended up somewhere in between experimental Inwards-ness and club-based bangers”.
He nicknamed these more uptempo tracks ‘zoomies’, and loosely planned a series of singles or EPs around the concept. Producing them between 2019 and 2023, with no urgency or deadlines, he says it was just “A natural flow of making tracks, trying them out in the live set, seeing if they fitted with the other zoomies”.
It became clear that Zoomies was meant to be an album when the tracks all seemed to belong and flow together. And alongside this a wider concept began to emerge, forming links between what was once just a fun one-word reference to the cartoonish antics of his canine pals, and a deeper, more spiritual exploration of the history and lore around them.
The album’s striking artwork, inspired by the folkloric canine spirit, digs into the theme. “I wanted it to have a feeling almost like it was made of stained glass, like you might see in a place of worship or in a painting of a deity”.
“The album is dedicated to Keira, who left us in 2022. Many of the tracks were made in her presence”, he says, revealing more about the catharsis he gained from this project; “I found her family tree, which we were given when we first got her, and I started to match the names of her ancestors to the different zoomie vibes I had made. The family tree ended with Keira, so I feel like this album serves as a relic in memory of her and her ancestors”.
From his first releases, Inwards has captivated fans and tastemakers with his distinctive blend of unshakable melodies and playful yet deep productions drawing on found sounds, modular synths and myriad electronic and acoustic instruments. Across debut album ‘Diesel’, second album ‘Bright Serpent’, and several singles and EPs, he has gained glowing coverage in the likes of MOJO, Resident Advisor, The Independent, Electronic Sound, Clash, and DMY. Heavy daytime and specialist profile on BBC 6 Music adds to specialist BBC R1, Radio X, BBC Introducing, and the likes of KCRW and NPR. He also regularly graces high profile DSP playlists, as well as playing well-received live sets and immersive AV shows including headline dates and support slots for Lapalux, Forest Swords, Tyondi Braxton and Ulrich Shnauss.
Tracklist:
01. Tokeida Starstealer
02. Streamrise Fury
03. Tokeida Outlaws Floozy
04. Meadowsweet Happy Ishka
05. Bonnie Goldilocks
06. Sansue Castallian
07. Meadowsweet Helkie
08. Floprym Lollipop
09. Golden Anushka
10. Jackson Flyer
11. Sansue Golden Ruler
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